To make way for the $160 million project, several demolitions will commence this month near the intersection of Valley Road and Brandon Avenue. According to Tim Rose, CEO of the UVA Foundation–the arm of the school that handles its real estate holdings–a total of nine properties in the neighborhood are scheduled for demolition. Just last week, one of the project's contractors, R. J. Smith Construction, applied for demo permits to take down the four houses pictured in this post– 434 and 501 Brandon Avenue, and 408 and 502 Valley Road. "Most of them will come down this month," says Rose, "a few in June or July."
While some might mourn the loss of an old, familiar neighborhood, it probably won't be the property owners. For the right to demo these houses, the UVA Foundation paid a total of $2.8 million for the four properties, $1 million alone for 434 Brandon Avenue (top right photo), a 1,813 sq/ft two-story recently accessed at $461,800, which looks in need of some repair. Comparatively, UVA got a bargain when they paid $1,500,000 for 408 Valley Road and 501 Brandon Avenue, two 2000 sq/ft houses collectively assessed at $715,200.

If you think that sounds like alot of money for a bunch of bungalows, you'd be right. According the CAAR's MLS listing today, there is only one residential property in the 22903 zip code area for sale for $1 million or more, a 6,517 sq/ft, 7-bedroom, 7-bath Georgian mansion at 1124 Hill Top Road for $2,950,000. Closer to the South Lawn project's ground zero, there's 2312 Fontaine, a 1932 sq/ft, 4-bedroom house, going for $549,900, and a 1,500 sq/ft, 3-bedroom condo at 1800 JPA going for $449,900. Of course, it's the land UVA is after, not the fine accommodations.

Perhaps most revealing of the real estate pickle UVA finds itself in whenever seeking to expand, particularly with a high-profile project like the South Lawn, is the relatively low price they paid for 502 Valley Road, an 1886 sq/ft house purchased in 2004 for $300,000, long before most people knew when the South Lawn project would commence, if at all.

Of course, as we write, five other lucky properties owners in the neighborhood are likely negotiating similar real estate sales, prompting the question: isn't UVA getting ripped off?

In a June 2004 cover story, the Hook asked the same question shortly after the UVA Foundation paid $3.4 million for the former SunTrust Bank/Papa John's Pizza building, which had recently been assessed at $1.65 million. Why pay so much when under eminent domain laws UVA could "take" private land for a public purpose and compensate property owners only the fair-market value for the property? The answer appears to be public relations.

"You can do it," UVA spokesperson Carol Wood said of eminent domain, "but we have chosen not to. The university is careful not to use muscle."In addition, UVA has always been upfront about its development plans, particularly the South Lawn Project, which has made it an easy target for enterprising realtors and property owners.

"Pretty much everyone who's in the real estate development business knows that a university is interested in expanding its boundaries, so it's not unusual to pay more than they'd like to," said UVA Foundation CEO Rose.

Besides, as realtor Stu Rifkin pointed out, "You may think they overpaid for that piece of land, but down the road, you'll find that they've added so much value that it'll appraise that high."

Still, $1,000,000 for a rundown old two-story?...so where's that East Lawn project going?

5 comments

Bill Wells January 8th, 2007 | 11:52pm

So where are the photos?

dave January 9th, 2007 | 11:43am

I've been in that house many times. While it's not much to look at, it has a ton of rentable rooms, a separate basement apartment and sits about 100 yards from Cabell Hall and the Med School. While $1 million is steep, it's not like it's just some shack.

Peter January 9th, 2007 | 11:52am

Dude, UVA doesn't give a damn about the house...it may not be a shack, but it's going to be a pile of rubble in about a week or two.

dave January 10th, 2007 | 1:33pm

Oh I know, I'm not suggeting they should care about, or that they won't tear it down. I was just saying that such a piece of property, with all those rooms so close to UVa, would no doubt fetch a handsome sum on the open market.